Home Office

Asylum: Children

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the needs and rights of refugee and asylum-seeking children, as set out in Article 22 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, are being met in the United Kingdom.

Lord Bates: In line with its international obligations, the UK grants protection to those who need it. Our domestic law provisions apply to children from overseas when they are in the UK. These, and our own policies, ensure that they receive the same protection and access to services as any other child permanently or temporarily deprived of his or her family environment for whatever reason, as set out in Article 22 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. When it is in the best interests of the child concerned, the UK endeavours to trace the families of unaccompanied asylum seeking children. The UK would comply, where appropriate, with any request from the United Nations, or from an organization affiliated to the United Nations, on these matters.

Department for Education

Academies: Sponsorship

Baroness Morris of Yardley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many sponsored academies have changed sponsor since 2010.

Lord Nash: 30 academies have transferred to new sponsors since 2010 out of over 4500 academies, either at the request of the sponsor or due to fundamental concerns about the academy and/or sponsor performance.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Israel

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the reported links between the settler group Elad and the Israeli Antiquities Association.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are aware of the link between the Elad group and the Israel Antiquities Authority. We are concerned that this link has led to Israel Antiquities Authority’s support of radical settler activities in and around the Old City under the guise of tourism and protection of Jewish history. Such actions not only aggravate mounting pressures in East Jerusalem but serve to increase tension around the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif and further complicate future attempts to negotiate a political resolution on the city.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the new Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration Programme of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Efforts to stabilise the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) require a comprehensive disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) programme aimed at successfully returning those combatants not suspected of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity or abuses of human rights, into a peaceful civilian life. It is crucial that the DDR programme is responsive to the needs of the Congolese people while guaranteeing the rights and welfare of those ex-combatants admitted to the programme. The Government of the DRC presented its DDR plan to international partners in June 2014. In October it announced that it would begin implementation using Government of the DRC and UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) funds. However, we have not yet seen any meaningful action on the ground and have noted with concern that a number of people transported to a military camp to await DDR have died from apparent disease and malnutrition. Alongside the UN and other members of the international community, we have requested the Government of the DRC take immediate action to protect the rights of those awaiting DDR in military camps. Whilst we are committed to working with the Government of the DRC on helping former combatants reintegrate into civilian life, we have made clear that our financial support is dependent on there being strong monitoring arrangements in place and that the needs and rights of all stakeholders are respected.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent discussions their representatives have had with the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and with President Kabila in relation to respecting the current constitutional presidential term limits.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Successful elections and the peaceful transition of power in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are important for the country’s longer-term development and stability. Officials at our Embassy in Kinshasa have consistently raised the importance of respect for the constitution with the Government of the DRC and with President Kabila himself. They will continue to do so.   A revised electoral law, passed on 25 January by the DRC’s Parliament, was welcomed in a Foreign and Commonwealth Office press statement of 26 January. This, and the subsequent comprehensive electoral calendar published by the DRC’s Independent Electoral Reform Commission on 12 February, represent an important step towards elections which are credible, inclusive and peaceful, and which respect the will of the Congolese people, the country’s constitution and the African Union Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.

Eritrea

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 24 February 2014 (HL5333) concerning the enforced extraction of a two per cent tax on the Eritrean community in the United Kingdom by the Eritrean Embassy, and in the light of the report made against the Eritrean Embassy on 3 March by members of the Eritrean community at the West End Central Police Station that the tax was still being extracted, what action they intend to take to take to ensure that no such tax is extracted by illicit or coercive means.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are aware of the report made to the Metropolitan Police on 3 March. A decision on any further action is a matter for the police. The collection of taxes by governments from their citizens overseas is not illegal in international or UK law. However, UN Security Council resolution 2023 makes clear that Eritrea must not collect such taxes “using extortion, threats of violence, fraud and other illicit means”. Where those required to pay such taxes to Eritrea allege they have been subject to actions that are in breach of the resolution, we advise them to report the matter to the police, who are the appropriate authorities to investigate such allegations in the UK.

Iran

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Iran about restrictions on women's reproductive health choices.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Women continue to suffer discrimination in Iranian law, and we are concerned by two Bills in the process of being adopted in the Iranian Parliament, which, if passed, would curb women and girls’ sexual and reproductive rights. The UK continues to urge Iran to abide by its international commitments and ensure all its citizens enjoy the rights and freedoms they are entitled to. The UK’s non-resident Chargé d’Affaires routinely raises human rights abuses in his discussions with Iranian officials, including most recently on 17 February.

Botswana

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord De Mauley on 24 February (HL4991), and in the light of the United Kingdom's special responsibility for the rights of the bushmen of the Kalahari when granting independence to Botswana in 1961, what is their assessment of whether the hunting ban imposed on the bushmen by the government of Botswana in 2014 is a prima facie breach of Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and whether they will make representations to the government of Botswana if they conclude that it is.

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord De Mauley on 24 February (HL4991), what assessment they have made of whether the hunting ban imposed on the bushmen of the Kalahari in 2014 by the government of Botswana breaches Article 1(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, by which states agree that "peoples" are not to be deprived of their means of subsistence.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Botswana is a democracy with an independent judiciary. We have not made any assessment as to whether the Government of Botswana’s ban on hunting or any decision on the supply of food to the San constitutes a breach of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Botswana constitution guarantees the rights and freedoms of all Batswana irrespective of race, colour, religion, gender, political opinion or place of origin. The UK follows closely the situation of the San communities in Botswana. We will continue to encourage dialogue between the San communities and the Government of Botswana.

Botswana

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord De Mauley on 24 February (HL4991), whether they consider that the government of Botswana's decision not to supply food to the bushmen of the Kalahari who have a legal right to live in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve constitutes a breach of Article 1(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and if not, why not.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have not made any assessment as to whether the Government of Botswana’s ban on hunting or any decision on the supply of food to the San constitutes a breach of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Botswana is a democracy with an independent judiciary. The constitution guarantees the rights and freedoms of all Batswana irrespective of race, colour, religion, gender, political opinion or place of origin. The UK follows closely the situation of the San communities in Botswana. We will continue to encourage dialogue between the San communities and the Government of Botswana, and raise issues at an appropriate level.